A few weeks ago, West Coast coach Andrew McQualter said there would be some “unlucky” players not to be on their list in 2027.

More than a dozen Eagles are without contracts for next season and up to half a dozen could find themselves delisted.

They have 50 players on their books after the retirement of small forward Jamie Cripps and need to cut it back to a minimum of 48 by the time the trade period and drafts are done.

This means some brutal decisions are going to have to be made in the next few weeks, and one they should consider is the future of small forward Matt Owies.

Take out the trade which they had to execute to get Owies and co-captain Liam Baker to the club, which cost them pick No.3 and Jagga Smith, the goalsneak simply hasn’t been able to replicate the form he had at Carlton.

Before arriving at the Eagles, Owies had kicked 60 goals in 41 games across two seasons but wasn’t offered a new deal at the Blues and found himself at Mineral Resources Park to add leadership and seniority to the young rebuilding team.

The 29-year-old has not been able to perform to the level to be a regular member of the AFL side. Owies kicked only seven goals from 16 games last season.

And this year, he has played only three games at the top level, the last of which came in round eight. This is despite the Eagles struggling to find small forward firepower after Cripps retired.

Noah Long and Jacob Newton haven’t been available because of injury, so the Eagles have turned midfielder Tom Gross and wingman Harvey Johnston into forwards to try to fill the hole.

Meanwhile, Owies has been inconsistent at best in the WAFL, averaging only nine touches and kicking 19 goals in 12 games.

If he cannot break into the side now when they are desperate for forward half presence from players of his ilk, how can he in the future?

What makes it complicated is that Owies is actually contracted for next year, having signed a three-year deal when he landed at the Eagles in late 2024.

For them to part ways with Owies, West Coast would have to pay him out. It is not unprecedented for the club, though, having done so with Zac Langdon in 2022.

Some would argue Owies is needed for depth next year, but if his spot on the list comes at the expense of keeping a Newton, Long or Malakai Champion — who are all out of contract — I would argue it would be a mistake.

We know what Owies’ ceiling is and unfortunately he’s been unable to hit it in the blue and gold.

Whereas there is still development in Newton, Long and Champion that can still be built on, and they could find themselves as genuine AFL forwards if given a bit more time.

Maybe give Owies a train-on or re-rookie him if you need the seniority, but the Eagles have to make some tough calls, and they cannot have mature players simply in the WAFL if they’re not part of the plans for the future.

Be Physical To Freo

It isn’t panic stations yet for Fremantle after their defeat to Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday.

But the Demons have laid down the blueprint for how to beat the Dockers for the rest of the premiership contenders.

Steven King’s side went into the game with a lot more to play for, and while it was a fast and frenetic affair, the most impressive part was the physicality shown by the home side.

Melbourne’s stars simply stood up the all-conquering Dockers and let them know they had come to play.

They tackled with ferocity and a want to hurt within the rules. They pushed Fremantle players in the contest to work them off the footy and made them simply work for every possession.

In the end, the longer the game went, the more the physical nature looked to have taken its toll on the Dockers, who are coming towards the end of a dominant but long campaign.

Fremantle have been widely praised for their stability within their 23 and rightfully so.

They have been relatively injury-free for most of the year and have only used 30 players as a result of their health and form of those who turn out.

But as the home-and-away season comes towards a close, it might be to their detriment, and the bye while the wildcard games are played couldn’t come quick enough.

Expect Adelaide to head to Optus Stadium this weekend with a similar mindset to that of Melbourne.

The Crows do not have the speed and overlap game of Melbourne, but they are arguably the most physical side in the AFL right now, and the likes of Jordan Dawson will look to beat up the Dockers around the ball.

And Carlton await them in Melbourne in the final round and have similar traits led by their captain in Patrick Cripps.

The defeat to Melbourne has done little to diminish the Dockers’ premiership favouritism. They still have the talent, skill, temperament and gameplan to go all the way.

But like every team, they are bound to have an Achilles heel, and Melbourne might’ve exposed it in front of everyone.

It is now a watch for the next few weeks.

Concussion Chaos

The AFL must launch an independent investigation into the Geelong concussion saga immediately to ensure a fair and just outcome is determined.

It certainly wasn’t the league’s finest week with their response to the disaster around the waiver the Cats had defender Jake Kolodjashnij sign a waiver in 2024 to continue his career amid concussion concerns.

But the fact that AFL commission chair Craig Drummond was directly involved as the then president of Geelong means the entire case has added a big complication they simply ignore.

Even if Drummond isn’t part of the investigation, the commission certainly cannot determine the outcome by themselves. There must be an independent review which takes place and passes judgment based on the AFL rules and regulations.

And if found guilty of any misdoings, a monetary fine does not seem harsh enough a penalty.

AFL clubs are rich and powerful entities, and coughing up even $500,000 isn’t going to worry a powerful outfit like the Cats too much.

There must be some significant sanction which hurts their ability on the field. Whether it is a loss of premiership points, draft picks or salary cap — there has to be a more significant punishment for these types of offences.

For now, as a whole, the AFL’s response to this entire ordeal has been wanting, and they must move quickly to take this a lot more seriously than they seem to have.

Clubs cannot simply skirt the rules and get away with a slap on the wrist if found guilty.

And no matter the punishment or what involvement Drummond has or doesn’t have, there will still be concerns unless an independent body takes over this entire ordeal.

The AFL dropped the ball this week big time. It’s time to hand it to someone else to clean up this mess.